Glendale, AZ 85308
What if I told you that every dentist secretly wishes they were a medical doctor. Deep down inside, we really want to wear a white lab coat, hang a stethoscope around our neck, and carry around a clipboard stacked with blank sheets of paper. The real reason we check your blood pressure is because that’s …
Ask most dentists how often you should brush and you are likely to get the same answer: twice daily. But why? What makes brushing two times daily the magic number? What if you are susceptible to cavities, should you be brushing more often? Why do some people get cavities despite brushing religiously, while others never …
Maybe you sought a second opinion and found that it was completely different from the first. Why do dentists disagree so often? Hopefully, most dentists will agree on the diagnosis of conditions. But, when it comes to treatment, you can expect a wide variety of opinions. There is a joke in our field, if you …
As a general dentist who performs specialty dental procedures, I work hard to improve my skills to provide the best care to my patients. When I see something a specialist does differently than me, I try to incorporate that into my own practice. Recently, I have seen more conservative accesses, a.k.a. “ninja access,” from local …
There you are with a giant needle sticking out of your face and your dentist starts to shake your cheek. What do they think they are doing? Is the shaking supposed to distract you? Well, it’s not working! Or is it? These are the thoughts that rush through many patient’s minds when I am giving …
For many patients, getting numb is the scariest part of going to the dentist. My patients often ask me how long they will be numb after their appointment. The answer to this question, as with most things in life, is that it depends. There are many factors such as the type of anesthetic used, the …
Most people assume that snoring is a normal habit that comes with aging. Although it is true that there is a correlation between snoring and age, that doesn’t mean snoring is harmless. In fact, snoring is a sign that you are having trouble breathing during sleep. Even if you don’t have full-blown sleep apnea, you …
You wake up with the worst pain in your life. You’re not sure which tooth hurts, but it feels like your mouth stumbled into a bear trap over night. The pain is relentless, and you can’t think about anything else. If that describes your pain, then unfortunately, you probably need a root canal. I’ve been …
Like most other jobs, dentistry can be hectic and demanding. One moment I may be in the middle of a root canal, and the next I may be demonstrating the proper way to floss. In planetary terms, root canals and flossing are galaxies apart, yet they both inhabit the same universe of dentistry. Switching gears …
The Important Exam Your Dentist Probably Isn’t Doing Read More »
There are many specialties within the field of dentistry. An endodontist specializes in treating the tissues inside of the tooth. When you normally think of a tooth you probably don’t think about the nerves and blood vessels inside. But, your teeth are living tissues, just like any other part of your body. When your teeth …